News

Consultation begins on the revised RICS Service Charge Code

Revised service charge code to help housing association tenants for the first time

Housing association tenants of long leasehold flats and the service charges they pay are to be included for the first time under a revised service charge residential management code, this alongside other proposed changes announced as part of a consultation by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Originally developed in 1997, previous editions of the service charge code (a Secretary of State approved standard which sets

REVISIONS TO LPE1 LPE2 and FME1 FORMS

We reported quite some time ago about the working group for the revision of the LPE1 LPE2 and FME1. We are pleased to report that we have finally agreed the revised versions and they are launched today, 22nd November, with a go live date of 11th January 2022. We will issue a reminder after the Christmas holiday period about the go live date. The Press Release reads as follows:

The trade and representative bodies representing the legal, surveying,

JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT BRIEFING

Our next ‘free to members’ briefing will take place on 27th May 9.30am to 12.30pm via Zoom.

Please email enquiries@arhm.org to book your place. We have a great line up of speakers and as usual there will be plenty of time for questions, please do join us and share the information with your teams. The line up is as follows:

ARHM Update – an overview of ARHM’s activity and agreed work plan for the year ahead.

Infection Prevention Control

ARHM, HBF and RHG RAISE CONCERNS TO NADIM SAHAWI ABOUT ACCESS TO VACCINES FOR FRONTLINE STAFF IN  SHELTERED HOUSING

RHG, HBF and ARHM are receiving mixed feedback from providers of sheltered/supported housing schemes about the ability of individual schemes to access vaccines for frontline staff.  Guidance issued in “COVID19 standard operating procedure COVID-19 vaccine deployment programme: Frontline social care workers (JCVI Priority Cohort 2) Version 1, 14 January 2021” makes it clear that frontline management and ancillary workers should be classed as social care workers and receive the vaccine as a Cohort 2 priority.  Some public sector providers of

STAMP DUTY LETTER SENT TO THE CHANCELLOR

ARHM and 9 other organisations have written to the Chancellor asking for the extension of the Stamp Duty holiday.  Please see attached letter and Press Notice.  If you would like to forward the letter to your MP please do so and let us know of any feedback.

The joint letter was picked up in the Daily Telegraph with a supporting article by Bob Blackman MP and in various other items (see links below).  Bob Blackman is Conservative MP for Harrow

MHCLG ANNOUNCE LEASEHOLD REFORMS

Robert Jenrick, the Housing Communities and Local Government Secretary has announced reforms to leasehold housing.

MHCLG advise ‘Last year the Law Commission published reports on leasehold enfranchisement, Commonhold, and Right to Manage.  Today’s announcement is part of the Government’s response to these reports on how to make purchasing the freehold of a property or extending a lease easier, simpler and cheaper for leaseholders and how to pave the way for the widespread take-up of Commonhold.

Under the current system, too

COVID – 19 UPDATE FROM DHSC (2)

DHSC announced yesterday that “High risk extra care and support living staff and residents will receive COVID19 testing as follows: Staff testing twice weekly, Resident testing weekly to go live in December.

We attach an introductory webinar: EXTRA CARE AND SUPPORTED LIVING WEBINAR(.pdf)

Points not made in the webinar but covered in Q+A include:

  • To date only 110 local authorities have signed up to this system and sent contact details for extra care schemes to DHSC
  • Initial tests –

COVID – 19 UPDATE FROM DHSC (1)

DHSC has published updated Covid 19 Guidance for supported living services and clarified that:

The guidance is primarily for supported living settings, but many of the principles are applicable to extra care housing for older people. It may also be a useful resource for the wider supported housing sector, such as retirement or sheltered housing. Given the different types of supported living and the associated care, support and help for people living there, this guidance cannot be specific to